FEZ, MOROCCO – It was an evening of “what ifs” for the Uganda Cranes as they fell 3-1 to Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday, officially exiting AFCON 2025.
Despite a spirited second half, a bizarre sequence involving three different goalkeepers and a red card sealed Uganda’s fate.
Paul Put’s Reaction: “We Didn’t Deserve This”
Cranes head coach Paul Put did not hide his disappointment after the final whistle. While Uganda managed a late consolation through Rogers Mato, the Belgian tactician felt the scoreline didn’t reflect the effort. “I have a very bad feeling because I think we didn’t deserve this. In football, when you lose your captain (Denis Onyango) to injury and then his replacement (Salim Magoola) to a red card, it becomes an uphill battle,” Put remarked. “We had opportunities, but at this level, you are punished for every mistake.”
Goalkeeper Calamity
The headlines, however, were dominated by Uganda’s goalkeering crisis. Legend Denis Onyango started but was forced off at half-time due to injury. His replacement, Salim Magoola, lasted only 11 minutes before being sent off for handling the ball outside the area. Third-choice Nafian Alionzi had to step into the fire, conceding twice to Nigeria’s Raphael Onyedika.
Uganda finished bottom of Group C with one point, while Nigeria sails into the Round of 16 as group leaders.
